The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Cuba celebrated yesterday Tuesday 18/12/2018, the national day of the State. The Minister of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba, Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda, participated in the occasion, as long as HE Mr. Rogelio Serra Diaz, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, HE Mr. Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, viceministro de Transporte, and HE Mr. Armando Vergara, Director-General for Bilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and HE Mr. Hector Igarza, Director of North Africa and Middle East of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A number of ambassadors of the countries accredited to Cuba also participated in the celebration.

On the occasion HE Ambassador Rashid Mairza Al-Mulla delivered a speech on the history of the establishment of the State, the achievements of the Qatari leadership, the circumstances of the embargo imposed on Qatar and the bilateral relations between the two countries. The following is the speech of HE:

In the name of Allah the Merciful

HE Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health.

His Excellency Mr. Rogelio Serra Díaz, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

His Excellency Mr. Eduardo Rodríguez Davila, Deputy Minister of Transport.

His Excellency Mr. Armando Vergara, Deputy Director General of the Department of Bilateral Relations.

His Excellency Mr. Hector Igarza, Director of North Africa and the Middle East.

Excellencies Ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions.

Distinguished guests

At the outset, I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight to join us in celebrating this important occasion for our country.

I wish to congratulate the Government and the people of Cuba on the electoral process, which took place in a civil and democratic manner. I would also like to congratulate President Miguel Diaz Canel on the assumption of power, which we are confident that he will follow the path of the revolution, initiated by the leader Fidel Castro. I also wish to congratulate the Cuban people and the Government on the democratic process, which has been carried out democratically and will certainly lead to the development and progress of the country.

On this occasion I would like to review some aspects related to the State of Qatar and its development. The State of Qatar was established on December 18, 1878 by Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Bin Thani, the founder of the State of Qatar. He is considered one of the greatest politicians in the history of Qatar and the Arab world. He was keen to make the country independent and united.

When oil was discovered in the State of Qatar, there was a remarkable development, and all public facilities were developed until Qatar became one of the countries with a clear influence in the region and the world at large.

One of the most important periods witnessed by our nation during its recent history was the reign of His Highness the Emir father, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, who contributed to the development of the State of Qatar in all aspects of urban, economic, scientific and sports. In his period Qatar possessed the natural oil, and now it is the second producer in the world, and has the third largest reserves in the world.

He was also credited with resolving the differences of some countries in the region (Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, as well as the Palestinian cause).

Then the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the current emir, took power.

After taking office in June 2013, he continued his father's steps, keen on developing the Qatar 2030 Vision, which was established by the emir father. He also focused on the Arab and Islamic world and strengthened Qatari relations with all countries, based on the concept of friendship between countries and peoples of the world.

Everyone knows the situation in our country and the Gulf region because of the blockade imposed by our Gulf neighbors, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the Arab Republic of Egypt, which has boycotted our country and imposed an air, sea and land blockade. These steps were aimed at exerting pressure on Doha to renounce its sovereignty and national decision. The crisis is also an explicit violation of human rights, as it has cut off the common ties of members of the Gulf families.

However, the result was contrary to the expectations of the countries of the blockade, as the country has been unified, and our country has systematically surpassed the crisis, with the testimony of many countries of the world, based on the vision of the wise and peaceful leadership, which has repeatedly tried to find peaceful solutions through dialogue and negotiations, without prejudice to our sovereignty, which we consider to be red lines.

Economically, our economy today is stronger than it was before the crisis. The immunity of our economy has been strengthened from external shocks, our self-dependence has grown, ties with our allies have become more established, and our relations with most of the world have developed.

On the other hand, I would like to emphasize the strength of the bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Cuba in various fields, including health, culture, education and economic, political and social fields. It is based on the strong ties between the two countries.

In conclusion, I would like to invite you to watch a short video about the renaissance of the State of Qatar and hope you enjoy this celebration.